Arsène Wenger admitted his players may be fearful of Arsenal failing to qualify for the Champions League after Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Everton that left the home manager, Roberto Martínez, urging his side to go on to achieve the dream of playing in the European Cup next season.

Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League in each of Wenger's 16 full seasons as manager. But goals from Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku, along with a Mikel Arteta own goal, moved Everton to within a point of their fourth-placed having played one game fewer.

The Gunners have not won since 16 March and have taken only two points from the last 12 available. It is a dip in form that has set the alarm bells ringing for Wenger. "Was there a lack of fight? You could say that," he said. "It is a massive worry to lose a game like that. We have to analyse it well and come back with a different attitude, with more personality and stronger challenges. We have to go back to basics. Our performance was not convincing, not defensively, not offensively. Everton was better and deserved to win."

Asked if his side are concerned they may fail to take the club into the Champions League for the first time since the 1996-97 season, Wenger said: "I don't know. It is very difficult to identify that it is fear. Our big-team defeats away from home have taken something of our charisma from the team. Is that belief? Is it fear? Is it confidence?

"I am absolutely 100% determined to fight to make the top four but it will be difficult. We have a programme that is feasible. We have to first focus on the quality of our performances before we dream of places. Let's get back to playing better than that. I wouldn't question the spirit of this team. They are focused and want to do well but they have lost something on the confidence front.

"The fight is very open and is depending not only on us. Everton is in a strong position but we have been confronted with that before and it is how we respond."

For Martínez, his team's dominance left him praising a perfect afternoon. "In terms of the satisfaction you can get as a manager, it is as good as you can get. The performance was very strong from the first minute to the last. The way we wanted to play, we had to be perfect in the way we wanted to defend, to use the counter-attack, to be a threat in the final third and to keep possession.

"The players in every area were phenomenal. The tactical awareness, work-rate, the discipline. In a group sport it is as good a performance as it gets.

"The implications today were quite unique. We were hoping for a result but what was needed today was breaking many barriers. We have played 22 games against Arsenal where we only scored one goal or less. Today we kept a clean sheet and scored three and looked like we could have scored more.

"Getting the three points leaves us with 63 points, which is an incredible amount but we still have 18 points to play for. It was a huge three points from a psychological point of view. Today was a real good memory for everyone at Everton. Everyone should be very proud."

Martínez believes reaching the Champions League is a realistic aim for Everton. They were last there in the 2005‑06 season, but were knocked out in the qualifying round by Villarreal.

"What is important when you are a team, you have to have an aim," he said. "It can be an easy aim or you can reach high and try and have a dream to follow. When it was Swansea it was to get into the Premier League, at Wigan it was to get into Europe and at club with the heritage of Everton it is to get into the Champions League. There is still a long, long way to go. Arsenal from now have 15 points to fight for and it is going to be a really tough battle."

Arsenal appear to have the easier run-in with games against West Ham United, Hull City, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City. Everton welcome both Manchester clubs to Goodison Park as well as Crystal Palace with away games to come at Sunderland, Southampton and Hull City.